Into Paralyzing Silence
by KaliTracer
Summary: There is one thing Steve must do before anything else...but delivering this kind of news has never been his strong suit and delivering it to a friend makes it that much worse. **SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER**


A/Ns: Spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier **

This has been bugging the shit out of me. Mostly because I just needed to know what happens on this front and I needed to get it out so I can focus on other projects. Title from "Sorrow" by Flyleaf.

Unbeta'd

* * *

"When do we start?" Sam asks, glancing at the file in Steve Roger's hands.

"Soon," Steve replies. "There is one thing I've got to do first."

* * *

It takes about a day for Steve to get to the Avengers Tower. Press is still covering everything that happening with SHIELD so, thankfully, it's a lot easier to travel. Steve enter the building with little fuss. He has a code for the elevator, once he's past security, and is pleased to hear Jarvis' voice.

"Welcome back, Captain Rogers. Mister Stark is currently in his lab. Would you like to go directly there?"

"Please, Jarvis. Is Miss Potts in the building?" He asks as the elevator moves.

"She is currently at Stark Industries. Would you like me to call her for you?" the AI asks.

"I just think she'll want to be here for Tony as soon as she can be." Steve hates this.

"Yes, sir."

The lab is in the same chaotic noisy state as when Steve left. He tries to not smile at the whirling mess of Tony's bots as they help him construct something in the middle of the room. They look to have a lot going on, and Steve can't help but wonder if he should wait. In the end though, he knows Tony will want to know.

The man in question looks up and smiles.

"Cap! I just heard about your epic mess in DC. I must say I'm a bit mad you didn't invite me for all the fun." Tony grins easily as he stand and moves around to greet him.

Steve smiles back, Tony's enthusiasm infectious as always. He loses his smile when he forces himself to press forward.

"Tony, I need to tell you something. It's important."

"I know about Fury, Steve. We get the news here too," Tony's smile tightens.

"What? No, Tony, Nick's still alive. He didn't die," Steve says.

"What!? I sent flowers to that bastard's grave. Jarvis! Find out if we can unsend flowers..." Tony starts talking a mile a minute about Fury and something about sending itching powder or bombs or something and Steve's chest hurts so bad he snaps.

"Tony! Enough!"

That brings the genius' rant to an abrupt halt and he stares at Cap with confusion.

"There's something else I need to talk to you about." Rogers takes a deep breath. "I found something out while I was investigating Hydra. It was in a file that has since-well-exploded. So I came to tell you what I saw." Steve shuffles a bit before swallowing down the lump in his throat. "It's about your parents."

"What about them? Spit it out. Did they fake their deaths too?" Tony asks, moving within arm's reach of Steve.

"No, they didn't. They were murdered by Hydra."

The words hang there between them, for a moment, a force all unto their own. Steve has lost control over them and wants nothing but to take them back.

Tony stands frozen, looking a lot like a child that has found himself utterly alone for the first time. Then quietly, he turns and places himself in a nearby chair.

"Hydra murdered my parents?" Tony asks.

"I don't know who or why. I just know they claimed it was for the advancement of their agenda."

Tony nods, but doesn't say anything.

Finally Steve kneels in front of him, part of him afraid to touch him or do anything that might make it worse. Tony looks almost shell-shocked, practically fragile and it makes him nearly ill to have unearthed a grief long since buried.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'm so sorry." He gently puts a hand on Tony's knee, wanting to do something to comfort his friend. Stark nods, and eventually takes the hand in his own.

"Thanks for telling me," he says, voice gruff. He clears his throat. The sound loud in the now still lab.

There isn't anything else either of them can say, so they sit, hand in hand. If every once in a while, Tony's hand tighten its grip on Steve's to the point of pain, well no one need ever know.


End file.
